30/08/2012: Iron Sky [2012]

When I first watched a trailer for a movie called Iron Sky in which the Nazis had hidden on the dark side of the moon sine 1945  I'm not sure what I thought. It was an intriguing concept, and the trailer had a lavish display of special effects, but I just added it to my watchlist and figured it would be just another sci-fi comedy B-movie I might one day get around to seeing. After watching it, I would say that Iron Sky is at the forefront of a new era in cinema, where original independent movies should be able to easily compete with and dominate any large budget Hollywood CGI fun-fests.

14/07/2012: Salon Kitty [1976]

Last night I decided it was time to dive back into the world of Naziploitation once again with Salon Kitty. As always, any naziploitation film is rife with controversy but this one is actually grounded on some interesting historical facts. While sure all the excess of sex, nudity and Nazism is bound to ruffle some feathers, it is interesting to see a film that doesn’t exactly draw to many lines, and is in fact an Italian production. Overall, for a film I can’t compare with anything else, I would say Salon Kitty is quite an interesting watch.

13/05/12: Captain America: The First Avenger [2011]

Coming up with a small paragraph to describe Captain America: The First Avenger is nearly impossible, specially when the title is so long. What I can say is that this movie is exactly what you are looking for in a superhero flick: action, explosions, girls, and just enough CGI to satisfy: but all within moderation. 

29/04/2012: The Night Porter [1974]

This was the third Criterion Collection film I watched this week, and like many audience dividing films do, it comes from Italy. The Night Porter is the most famous work of Italian director Liliana Cavani, and is damned by some as a perverse exploitation of the Holocaust while others read the story as a dark psychological thriller of disturbed characters with a darker past.

25/03/2012: Inglourious Basterds [2009]

Inglourious Basterds is my fourth Quentin Tarantino movie in the last two weeks, so clearly I enjoy his movies and he is one of my favourite filmmakers. However, the first time I watched Inglourious Basterds I was not a fan, but after the second time, I would strongly encourage anyone to give it a second try, this is a movie best enjoyed the second time.

03/03/2012: Ilsa She Wolf of the SS [1975]

Most people will never venture far off the theater showed, well advertised, blockbuster budget movies that everyone has heard about. Those who search a little may come across many great foreign and indie films. People are always talking about classic movies and how everyone still watches them today. But it is not until someone ventures quite far off of Hollywood boulevard and into the dark woods that they will find the likes of Ilsa: She Wolf of the SS.

01/01/2012: The Debt [2011]

I've started out this year with a number of phenomenal films over the last couple days. Tonight I finally got to watch The Debt which had enticed me since the first trailer. However the trailer gave me a slightly wrong impression, as I went in thinking that the 1997 plot would be the focus and not the actual mission from 1965. I was pleasantly surprised however to find that a large amount of the movie details the actual mission to capture the "Surgeon of Birkenau".

First off I'm a big fan of World War/Cold War spy stories especially those pertaining to Nazi war criminals. (Robert Ludlum novels)  I should say I had no idea as towards the actual plot before I started, so to find out that it first included all aforementioned aspects as well as the fact that it was not some U.S. spy agency gained it a lot of points. it's nice to see the Mossad as the protagonists. The intelligence agency of Israel the Mossad have strong reasons for their mission. While the film is not directly based on a true story, it is inspired by another film Ha-Hov.

My favourite part of this film was the flashback to the events of the actual mission, but like a good thriller those events only amplify what is occurring in the present. The ending is probably divisive and your opinion of it could go either way, it is not however a bad ending.

As such The Debt is another great movie which should peak the interest of anyone who enjoys a historical (fictional) thrillers, or just anyone who enjoys a good movie.

Not sure if I like the international title, The Rachel Singer Affair, I don't feel she was really the sole protagonist but whatever.

Link:
http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1226753/